


Unexpected Depths

by antigrav_vector



Category: Captain America (Movies), Iron Man (Movies), Nick Fury: Agent of S.H.I.E.L.D., The Avengers (Marvel Movies), Thor (Movies)
Genre: Action, Alternate Universe, Canon-Typical Violence, F/M, Get Together, M/M, Mer!AU, POV Switches, Pre-Slash, Romance, Sorry Not Sorry, a bunch of detailed footnotes again, butchering of Greek and Norse mythology, complicated mythology mashup, implied kinda-incestuous relationship, implied off-camera sex at certain points, merfolk, mild whump, mythology in a modern setting, random superpowers, sirens that are shape-shifting merpeople with psychic powers, tie-ins to various comic and MCU canons, yes Tony and Pepper are Asgardian, you know how comics are by now, you're reading this
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-05-29
Updated: 2014-05-29
Packaged: 2018-01-27 01:44:05
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 19,601
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1710428
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/antigrav_vector/pseuds/antigrav_vector
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The AU where Tony and Pepper are Asgardian, Asgard is located in the depths of the Atlantic somewhere, Loki is still comparable to a bag of cats, and things go down roughly the way they do in MCU canon. Well. Sort of.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Unexpected Depths

**Author's Note:**

> With thanks to my lovely beta reader: lil_1337
> 
> This verse is going to require a bit of worldbuilding. As such, there will be footnotes anytime something is too complicated to throw into exposition.

Chapter 1

Director Fury pinched the bridge of his nose, frustration with the situation and his team briefly getting the better of him. "Damn it, Rogers, you were supposed to _contain_ the threat, not make it worse!"

Steve gave him a level look, defending himself and his team, as dignified as he could be when he was still in a grimy uniform covered in salt crusts from his fall into the briny waters of New York's harbor. They had only just gotten back before Fury had all but pounced on them and insisted that they debrief. "You sent us in with limited intel and it backfired, sir. None of us had any real defense against the attack, except Thor."

Fury glared at him, grudgingly conceding the point. Behind him, Steve felt more than saw the rest of his team straighten in response to Fury's expression, effectively closing ranks with him. They had long since managed to work through their issues and worked almost seamlessly together, now. And they all knew it. The moment stretched for a short eternity before it broke. With a curt motion of his hand, the Director dismissed them. "Go clean up and get some rest. Barton, you're benched until Medical clears you for duty. Once we find out more about this threat, Rogers, your team is going right back out there. You yahoos are unfortunately our only line of defense, which means you're on call until further notice."

"Sir." With a short nod, Steve turned and led his team out of the small conference room. They followed him silently down the hallways until they reached their assigned quarters, a set of rooms clustered near one another, then scattered. Steve opened the door to his own small suite of rooms and closed it behind him with a tired sigh. He had a bedroom, an en-suite bathroom, a small office-alcove with a desk and lamp, and a second small alcove to store his gear.

It truly hadn't gone well, and he forced down a wince remembering as he slowly removed his shield and harness to clean off the accumulated salt, river algae, and grime. It had been the team's first encounter with such a creature. All they'd known at the time could be boiled down to: it's killing people somehow, we're not sure how, it's taken up residence in the bay of the Hudson River, oh, and please make it stop killing, it's causing a mild panic throughout the City. Gamely, the team had taken a small boat out onto the bay, borrowed from the Coast Guard who'd sternly told them that unless they brought the vessel back intact, they weren't lending Fury any more equipment. They'd managed that, but not much else.

Steve'd only just issued a warning to the creature, which looked human from head to mid-thigh, where its pale skin smoothly blended into a set of bright emerald green fishscales[1], when Clint had simply started walking towards it, ignoring their shouts of surprise and confusion. And the railing of the ship's upper deck, for that matter. Before he could reach the railing of the lower deck, Natasha had vaulted down and grabbed him. It had turned into a dance of attack and defense, then, as Clint had fought tooth and nail to escape her without a thought for his own safety. The creature had stared intently at Clint throughout the fight, and the others had watched for long moments, stunned into inaction, until Clint's muttering grew loud enough to be audible to them. Then Natasha had finally managed to free Clint. Cognitive recalibration, she'd called it.

Steve suppressed an amused snort as he hung the harness from its hooks and the shield beside it. All she'd done was hit him really hard in the head. Before he'd disappeared, the creature had more or less scattered his team. Clint, out cold, and Natasha, through her acrobatic skills, had managed to stay aboard the boat, but he'd been thrown clear, into the cold waters of the Hudson. Thor had spent some time grappling with the creature, but any words exchanged had been inaudible to the team. Bruce hadn't been called in on this one except as backup. By the time he'd managed to haul himself back on board the boat, the creature had disappeared without a trace, presumably into the waters of the harbour, and Thor had taken up vigil at the starboard railing. Clint hadn't woken until they'd nearly reached the pier to return the borrowed boat.

In the end, all the team had gleaned from the encounter was a name, but it was enough to work with for now: Loki. They'd know more once Fury's network of intelligence officers had time to work on the problem a bit.

Steve's introspection was interrupted by a knock on his door. Wondering who it could be, he crossed the room to answer it. On opening the door, he was surprised to find Thor flanked by two strangers. His first impressions of them were of a neatly trimmed dark beard and long coppery red hair. Oddly, he found himself wanting to trust them even before he knew anything about them. "Captain," Thor's voice was oddly quiet as he spoke. "Might we trouble you for a few moments?" The wording implied a question, but the tone was one that held absolute confidence in Steve's answer. Cautious but intrigued, Steve nodded.

The bearded stranger smiled broadly, but said nothing. Thor seemed to relax slightly, but the softening in his posture quickly faded into businesslike efficiency. "These are close friends of mine, journeyed from my homeland to bring news and offer their assistance."

That implied Thor needed help with something, but Steve couldn't imagine anything that the other man could possibly need help with, and there was no reason for the strangers to help _him_. "Assistance with what?"

"That shall be revealed if you accept their assistance."

"Wait. If _I_ accept? I thought you said they were here to help you."

"You forget, Captain, that to assist me in certain matters, they must have your permission. I pledged my honor when I accepted a place on this team and under your leadership. To accept on your behalf would not be in keeping with that pledge."

Steve sighed. Sometimes he despaired of ever understanding Thor and his people. They had some strange concepts of personal honor. Nothing that bothered him, Steve reflected -- quite the contrary, really. But confusing as anything else he'd ever encountered. "Should I assume that this affects the team as a whole, then?"

"It does, in that by assisting me they assist the team as well."

That could potentially throw off the team dynamics in a way that could cause injuries, Steve reflected. "Is there anything about the situation that you are willing tell me before I make my decision?"

"Only that it pertains to our current assignment, and that Fury has not yet learned of their presence on the base."

That was worrying. If Thor felt the need to keep his friends' presence a secret, there were clearly larger forces at work than were immediately obvious. Not to mention that the security at HQ was pretty much impenetrable. Steve couldn't help but wonder how they'd pulled off _that_ little trick. Considering the possibilities a moment longer, Steve shrugged as he responded. "Okay, I'll allow it. At this point, we need all the help we can get." The redhead raised an eyebrow at him and the dark haired man on Thor's other side laughed. It was a surprisingly melodic sound. Thor smiled broadly, reaching out to clasp Steve's shoulder in a firm grip. "Then, my friend," he replied, "we must convene the team once all have rested and refreshed themselves."

With that, Thor turned and strode back toward his own room, and his two friends followed, their movements somehow more fluid than they had a right to be. Where Thor was all muscle, force, and enthusiasm, these two were elegant and slender, seeming to bend like river reeds in the wind. The redhead turned and smiled brightly at him, for all the world like she knew what he was thinking and approved, before she followed Thor into the room.

Shaking his head to clear it, Steve retreated into his own room and bolted the door. He felt oddly unsettled by the encounter, as though laid bare before the trio, despite the fact that neither of the strangers had said a word and Thor had been more cryptic than ever. Finally getting the chance to peel off his salt-encrusted uniform, letting it fall to the floor in a heap and making a mental note to clean it, Steve stretched and reached for a towel. Though his quarters weren't exactly luxurious, he did have an en-suite bathroom with a shower and lots of hot water. That had become something of an indulgence; he'd never had anything like this growing up. Steve started the water running, thoughts still on the strange pair. Thor had claimed them as old friends, but who _were_ they? And why were they here? Thor had hinted that they knew about the creature that had so soundly beaten the team earlier in the day, but how was that possible if Fury had no intel? Fury's information network was among the best in the world -- if not _the_ best. It was odd.

The water, running hotter now and filling the tiny bathroom with steam, was warm enough to relax him, so Steve stepped under the spray. And then there was the question of how the team would react to having two strangers in their midst. Clint and Natasha tended to be mistrustful as a direct result of their experiences as well as their chosen trades. Bruce didn't generally like strangers, because they represented a risk that his location or information about his few weaknesses might get to his enemies -- and he was right to be so careful. In the time he'd been on the team, General Ross had come after him twice, albeit unsuccessfully. Fury had made himself no friends the last time, either. For that matter... the memory of the dumbfounded expression on Ross' face that memorable afternoon was one Steve suspected Bruce treasured.

Thor, however... Thor had been something of an enigma from the moment he'd joined them. The team had been sent to investigate a disturbance in New Mexico, where they had found Thor, wavering on his feet in exhaustion and suffering from dehydration, and, several miles later, a large crater that revealed nothing of note. In the end, for lack of other information, they'd concluded that chance had conspired to cause a meteor strike near where Thor had been wandering, and brought the tall blond man to a nearby hospital to be treated. After he'd been treated and had recovered, Thor had appeared in New York, at Fury's headquarters, and more or less demanded a spot on the team.

Steve had been inclined to give it to him; they had been in need of a fifth member for a while, really. But the first three times Thor had asked, Fury had refused, on the basis that nothing was known about him. He had no past; his medical records simply didn't exist. He had no cell phone. No credit card. No citizenship papers. The fourth time, Thor had simply shown up on site at the team's call-out, joined the battle, and secured himself a place in the debrief session. After Thor's staunch refusal to leave, compounded by the evidence of his skills in battle -- as well as Steve's insistence that the team needed the added firepower, Fury had finally caved.

Now, Steve mused to himself as he turned his face up into the hot spray, he could pretty easily see it happening again with the two newcomers. Both had an air about them that held a hint of steel. Of iron resolve. Neither looked the part of a warrior, but, as Steve knew very well, appearances could be quite deceptive. He hadn't quite believed Natasha could fight as well as she could interrogate until he'd seen her in action.

To make matters worse, both strangers were very attractive. Steve would have given himself a shake by the scruff of his own neck if it were physically possible. He was already on a team of attractive people, and that had been difficult enough to adjust to without being personally attracted to any of them. That he was already drawn to these two strangers... that was going to get awkward rather quickly. He didn't even know their _names_ , so he sure as hell had no right to-- oh, who was he kidding. That only made it easier to fantasise.

\-- ~~ --

Once they were in Thor's room with the door shut and bolted behind them, the trio relaxed slightly. Thor slowly began taking off his armour, his very posture radiating his need to do so himself when his friends moved to aid him. "Do not worry about me, my friends," he murmured. "I am concerned that this matter has arisen with such suddenness, and it has..."

"Caused perhaps a sharper pain than you expected?" the redhead offered.

The dark haired man leaned into her even as he reached out to soothe the ragged edge of emotion he felt in both of his companions, offering her physical comfort to go along with the emotional, as he replied. "This could never have ended in calm discussion, Pepper."

"Tony..." She wrapped an arm around his waist as she spoke, her tone hovering somewhere between censure and reassurance, "that might be true, but there is still the question of what to do. And how much time we can take to acclimate to the idea that Loki has survived." Just before the team's first clash with Loki, he'd approached his lover with the information he'd acquired, insisting that he help his prince, and Pepper had retorted that he wouldn't be able to tie his shoes without her. She was probably right, Tony reflected.

"And both are questions," Thor added gravely, "whose answers must be determined after consulting with the other members of the team. I know you have chosen to come to my aid of your own free will, my friends, but I would feel more at ease knowing that you were safely in Asgard."

"Thor," Pepper sighed, "we have stood by and watched you struggle with your conflicting feelings about Loki. Watched as you allowed him to all but tear your world down around you in your attempt to redeem him."

"It's not that we want you to stop," Tony continued, picking up the thread, "but you have almost no defenses against his power, and it frustrates the hell out of us to see you get hurt time after time."

"Tony insisted," Pepper quipped, "and we all know how good he is at keeping track of anything besides his own projects."

"Hey!"

Thor couldn't hold back the chuckle that exchange engendered. "Peace, my friends, peace. I do not entirely agree, but I see you are set on seeing this through. Now all that remains is to convince the captain and the rest of the team."

Tony smirked at him, trying to lighten the mood. "Speaking of whom... that captain of yours feels single. He certainly doesn't seem to be attached to anyone in _this_ place."

Pepper elbowed her lover sharply. "Tony!"

"Relax, Pep. Jeeze." He pouted at her, rubbing at his ribs petulantly. He'd seen the looks she'd been giving the captain. She didn't feel angry, either... no, it was a mix of embarrassment and reluctant agreement. "I was just--"

"Tony, stop."

"Oh, fine, whatever." He crossed his arms and sat on the bed just behind him, his expression mock-petulant. He bounced; it was softer than he'd expected, and springier. Not bad, for a place built by a group of humans. Thor, having held his peace throughout their discussion, was smiling now, at least. Even if it was a very faint expression, it was good enough for Tony, and he knew both of them could feel the satisfaction lacing the amusement that he showed on the surface. That was fine; the mood was less dark, and that counted as a good thing. The last issue he really wanted to deal with for this mission was trying to cheer up Thor constantly. The man had a habit of trying to see the best in everyone and getting disappointed when they didn't live up to his expectations. And the mess caused by Loki's reappearance could very well cause exactly that.

\-- ~~ --

The team had finally reassembled in one of the building's small conference rooms some two hours later. Not the same one they had debriefed in; that one was Director Fury's favourite, and currently in use. The room they were in was only just large enough for the team and the two newcomers to sit reasonably comfortably at the table without constantly bumping elbows.

It was only once they were all settled that Steve turned to the newcomers, curiousity getting the better of him, now that there was nothing to distract him. "So, Thor said you had information for us," he prompted.

Thor grimaced but kept silent. The dark haired man exchanged a look with his redheaded friend before shrugging. "We do. But it is not exactly good news."

"What about this situation is good?" Clint scoffed. "We have no idea what we're dealing with, and no defenses against what it can do." Natasha nodded, adding her agreement and support to Clint's statement.

Steve found himself nodding as well. It was true, if somewhat over simplified. "But first," he asked, "who are you? I believe Thor when he says you're trustworthy, but it'd be nice to know whom I'm speaking to."

The pair of strangers exchanged a look with Thor and nodded. "Well," the dark haired man quipped, "Thor's told us a little about each of you, so I suppose it's only fair. The lovely lady is Virginia Potts, better known as Pepper. My name is Tony Stark. And we've come from Thor's hometown with tidings."

Tony's mode of speaking was odd, Steve noted, falling somewhere between very formal English and modern slang. It was more charming than Steve wanted to admit to himself. He really should be focusing on the offered information, and not the man offering it. Forcing himself back on topic, Steve prompted, "what tidings?" 

"Well, you know the name of the creature that attacked New York, yeah?" 

Natasha half-smiled. It wasn't an expression of mirth, and Tony clearly knew that judging by the mix of surprise and amusement on his face. "Loki," she supplied, her expression sharpening into one of quietly deadly anger.

Clearing his throat, Tony nodded. "Loki."

Pepper took over when he seemed to flounder, looking for words, pinned by Natasha's stare. "He is a bastard child, and Thor's adopted brother, though they are not related by blood. The son born to one of Odin's wives -- not Thor's mother -- by a different father[2]. He is known to our people and has abilities that parallel those some Asgardians possess, but they are as wild and unpredictable as Loki himself. Sometimes they work, and sometimes they do not, and they are always used to cause chaos."

The blonde's voice was low and melodic, rising and falling like waves on the sea, uneven but restful nonetheless. Despite the tense topic, Steve found himself relaxing slightly into his seat. "And what are those abilities, exactly?"

"Primarily? Low level mind-control and telepathy," Tony jumped back into the conversation. "Nothing impossible to counter, as you've discovered once already," he nodded at Clint, who scowled darkly, "but difficult enough to break free from to cause real trouble. Some other parlor tricks that look like magic but are based on weak telekinetic and pyrokinetic abilities. We can't be completely sure about the pyrokinesis, given it's rare among our people, but the fact that he has a way of causing explosions that can't be explained away easily supports the theory."

"And how can we counter those," Clint asked, growling out the words. "I'm not a fan of depending on any plan that relies on giving someone a concussion."

"You can't," Tony quipped, surprising Steve. "I can."

Before anyone could question his assertion, Pepper jumped in, continuing. "Loki is a cross-breed, a type we call _erotu_ , son of an Asgardian woman and a land-bound man. The power bred true, but no one such as he can properly control it. Such as he are usually killed at birth, barbaric as that sounds. There are very few other ways to limit the disruption they cause. As you have seen, Loki is very powerful. Most Asgardians have less ability than he does, but even so they remain a force to be reckoned with."

"Other ways?" Natasha jumped on the slight ambiguity of the wording. "What other ways?"

Tony grimaced. "It takes a lot of power and the closest thing to consent that the _erotu_ can give. The vast majority cannot be reasoned with. Those that can, however minimally, can sometimes be Bound."

Steve could hear the capitalisation. "And you don't think that will work here."

Pepper shook her head.

Thor glared around the room. "Loki may be beyond reason, but he is my brother."

 

Chapter 2

After the short meeting and Tony's refusal to reveal anything more beyond the fact that he _had_ the ability to counter Loki, the team dispersed, leaving Steve with Thor and the two relative newcomers.

A long moment of silence passed before Steve gathered his wits. "So how am I supposed to pitch this to Director Fury?"

Thor shrugged. "How did you persuade him to accept my assistance?"

"I didn't." Steve's dry tone prompted a laugh from Tony. Giving the man a quick smirk in response, Steve continued, "Fury gave in because he knew you wouldn't give up."

"Then tell him we're a stubborn people," Tony suggested with a fluid shrug. "Not like it isn't true."

"If that works," Steve mumbled, burying his face in his hands and resting his elbows on the table, "I'll be very surprised."

"Care to wager on that?"

Steve couldn't be sure, but it sounded like Tony's voice had almost hinted at flirtation. Keeping his tone carefully neutral, he replied, "Something tells me that's a bet that's stacked against me."

Tony grinned broadly at him, but didn't say a word, leaning into Pepper and seeming to radiate amusement. Pepper broke her silence to add, cryptic, "you have no idea, Captain."

Damn. After that comment about telepathy Tony had so casually dropped into the conversation earlier-- Steve stopped himself, coming to the conclusion that he'd be constantly second-guessing himself, at this rate.

This could get awkward.

In the end, a day passed before anything else interesting happened. Clint whined and moaned, but allowed Medical to check him over; he was cleared reasonably quickly. The after effects of Natasha's 'recalibration' had turned out to be almost negligible. Natasha barely seemed to leave her room. Thor and Bruce also made themselves scarce. Bruce because he wanted to get what rest and meditation in before the next mission. Thor... Steve found Thor spending his time entertaining Pepper and Tony, primarily by prying stories of home out of them. What was weird was that the trio seemed to simply go unnoticed by the other people on base. It was uncanny.

Tony glanced up and grinned at him, irrepressible.

Must be part of their powers, Steve decided.

Pepper looked up, following Tony's gaze wordlessly, to lock eyes with Steve briefly. When she looked away, Tony caught his eyes instead. Steve felt frozen in place, pinned by his blue eyes and a weird sensation of pressure that felt like it should make his ears pop, yet somehow more localised. As though a pair of square but deft masculine hands had covered his ears before meandering down his neck. He shivered, and then could suddenly move again, the pressure lifting.

"Cap," Tony's grin had gained a playful edge. "Come join us."

"I--"

"I won't take no for an answer, you know. Not unless you actually mean it."

Pepper smacked his shoulder. "Stop baiting the poor man."

Steve squared his shoulders. He didn't need defending. He'd survived the Commandoes' ribbing, after all. Kind of missed it, really. And them. Missed them something fierce. He refused to think about Peggy. "Thanks, Pepper, but don't worry about me. I've dealt with worse."

That comment somehow sobered both of the relative newcomers. Thor had remained silent, but spoke now, breaking the sudden tension. "Come, Captain. I would that you know my homeland through our tales."

An hour later, Tony, clearly uncomfortable, stood and simply walked off with a nod to the rest of them. Pepper watched him go before shrugging and resuming her description of the competitions and sports that coincided with any form of celebration. Steve didn't see anything about the topic that could possibly have been distressing, but Tony's shoulders had been tense and his movements less fluid than usual. The strange not-pressure he'd felt around the pair once before was back for a moment, though it somehow simultaneously felt like a brush of fingernails along sensitised skin, this time. Almost... feminine? Was that a manifestation of their power as well? "Don't worry about Tony," she interrupted her own narrative a moment later, "he's fine. And yes, actually."

It took Steve a moment to make sense of the last statement, and when he did he stared openly at Pepper. She smirked at him. "We only get surface thoughts or those with strong emotion attached, usually."

Thor chuckled. "And that only if we wish to. Do not forget to mention that, my friend."

Pepper's smirk gained a hint of a razor edge. "But it is so much more entertaining watching him guess." She turned to Steve. "You are much better at it than most, I must admit. More perceptive."

The rest of the day passed uneventfully. Well, mostly. It wasn't long after Steve had excused himself from the conversation with Pepper and Thor that Tony appeared, seemingly out of thin air, and started following him around, asking questions without rhyme or reason. Carrying his gym bag and trying not to pay more attention to Tony himself than the idle conversation as they walked down the corridor towards the gym level, Steve considered the situation.

He had decided that he needed to work out. To rid himself of some of the pent up feeling, the restlessness caused by inaction. He wasn't sure whether Tony had caught on to that or not, but the man's presence was distinctly not helping. "What do you want," he demanded, keeping his tone carefully neutral.

Tony shrugged, expression sobering. "Why are you avoiding asking Fury what he knows?"

"I'm not. I'm waiting for a good opportunity."

"Right. Strategist. The Star-Spangled Man with a Plan."

Steve snorted. "Where'd you pick up that nickname?"

Tony raised an eyebrow at him. "Just about everyone in the building either knows it or thinks it. Especially when you pass by. It's hard to miss, even if I'm not actively listening."

The door to the gym loomed, tinted glass dark enough to function as a mirror. "Hey," Tony marveled, "how'd this get made? That's remarkable."

"Don't ask me. I don't know." Steve pushed the door open, suddenly irritated. "I wasn't awake for that."

Tony stopped in his tracks. "What do you mean, 'awake'?"

Suddenly aware he'd given away more than he wanted to, Steve scowled. "Nevermind."

"O-o-o-kay. Sore subject," Tony carefully picked his way off the topic. The odd pressure ghosted over Steve very briefly, oddly soothing, before Tony shook his head. "Not gonna ask. But you can talk to me about it if you want."

In silence, suddenly calmer in the wake of the non-touch, Steve picked up a towel from the stack just inside the gym doors and pulled a roll of tape out of his bag. As he wrapped his hands, Tony watched, curious, but quiet for the moment. Steve decided to try again, before starting to work with the heavy bag, specially reinforced so that he could use it without ripping it apart. "What do you want? Why are you following me?"

"You mean besides the fact that being around you is the psychic equivalent of basking in bright summer sunlight?"

Steve blinked, surprised. "Yeah. Besides that."

"I like you. You're ... what's the word... direct? No. Honest, strong, and principled. Not many people can lay claim to even one of those in great measure. And besides. You're attractive as sin."

Steve sputtered, flattered and embarrassed in equal measure. "You-- what-- Tony!"

"What?" the slighter Asgardian tried to look innocent, but succeeded in achieving 'amused'. "You asked."

"You can't just--"

"What?" Tony cut him off, openly grinning now. "Compliment someone?"

There really was nothing about the statement that could be read as a proposition without looking for implied meanings or motives. Maybe he _had_ just been imagining it. Without saying another word, Steve turned back to the heavy bag, squared his shoulders, and laid into it. He really needed to find someone to date. His imagination was running away with him and this was getting ridiculous. He felt Tony watch him for a few minutes in what seemed to be contemplative silence before vanishing on near-silent feet. Presumably back to Pepper and Thor.

For that matter, Steve realised, he had no idea what the dynamic was between Thor, Pepper, and Tony. Did they represent three close friends, or something more? He pushed the thoughts away with an effort. That was their business, not his, and as long as it didn't disrupt the team, it didn't matter.

It didn't.

But he couldn't stop himself from wondering later, as he toweled off after his shower, what Tony was doing. The man had gotten too far under his skin too quickly for Steve's comfort.

\-- ~~ --

Tony smirked to himself as he left, idly redirecting the attention of everyone he encountered to keep them from realising he was there. It did take some concentration, but it was important. Fury still didn't know of their presence. Fooling the cameras and other electronics was impossible, but suggesting that they were friends and welcome on base to the men watching the camera feeds was not. It _was_ tempting to just 'appear' from out of thin air and see what happened, but it probably wouldn't be pretty. Better to 'appear' as Thor's allies and friends. And a little bit of self-restraint might well further his own goals; being here without causing that particular kind of trouble could easily help land him the captain, where indulging himself could cause the opposite. While he generally didn't bother with self-restraint, for a reward like this...

For that matter, he'd managed to keep his gleeful reaction to their exchange in the gym mostly contained, luckily. Some instinct told him the captain wouldn't have reacted well. Not because he wasn't interested but because he _was_. For all his good qualities, he was the type to wind himself up over this sort of thing, it appeared. A common trait among the land-bound, it was true, but it meant the captain would need some time to get used to the idea, at the very least. The Asgardian approach to relationships was radically different[3], and he would, in effect, have to make the captain see sense before this would work.

But the foundations were there. Attraction, compatibility. A taste for banter.

Now he just had to convince Pepper. Luckily, that would be easier. Well, probably.

He found Pepper and Thor right where he'd left them, sitting at the same table they’d used while telling Steve stories so old Tony had heard them a billion times mixed in with stories of their youth that were carried painful memories for him.

Pepper looked up at him and frowned. "What did you do?"

"Nothing! I don't know what you're talking about."

Thor chuckled. "You do look singularly pleased, Anthony. Such is usually only the case after you succeed in doing something most find questionable in nature." 

"I didn't do anything!" The others continued to look at him expectantly. Tony sighed. "Well, not yet," he admitted. "But that's a discussion for when we have some privacy."

Pepper raised an elegant eyebrow at him. "Tony... you haven't been harassing the captain, have you?"

"No?"

"Tony." Pepper's voice held a note of true warning. "Now is not the time for those games."

Rolling his eyes at her, Tony griped, "for crying out loud. We talked. Well, briefly. He asked what I wanted. I told him."

"And?"

"What do you mean, 'and'?"

"What was his reply?"

"He didn't give me one. But I don't think he was unreceptive."

Pepper pursed her lips. "Good. Thor has told me what he knows about the captain's past. Much of it is ... sad. If you had added to that, we would have had words."

Tony winced. "You mean that little moment earlier was--"

Thor nodded. "It happens fairly often. Anytime he is reminded of someone he once knew. I do not know more than that. I have not asked. Such is his story to tell if he wishes."

"Well, shit. I should have known. No one can be that perfect."

"Tony!"

\-- ~~ --

It wasn't until the following morning, seemingly in response to Clint's fidgeting, that Fury called the team in. Tony and Pepper didn't attend. Steve wasn't sure whether that surprised him or not. While Tony seemed like he might have tried, if only because of his apparently insatiable curiousity, it was clear that someone (probably Pepper) had stopped him.

The meeting was one of the least informative Steve could remember. "So what you're saying, Director, is that we still know nothing about this Loki, and that we're probably going to be forced to fight him on his terms."

"That more or less sums it up." Fury puffed once on his cigar, glancing around the table at the assembled team.

Steve turned to Thor. "Do your people know anything about this kind of threat?"

Thor nodded slowly, seeing the gambit for what it was and approving. "I know little about magical affairs, myself, but two of my good friends may be able to assist us in this, if you are willing to host them for a time."

Fury turned to Thor. "Well, why didn't you say so before?"

"I could not do so in good faith, until the captain asked. To undermine his authority so would not be seemly or in keeping with my oath to follow his leadership."

It was no such thing, Steve knew, but he kept that to himself. "I appreciate that, Thor, but the more information we have, the better. That's what these meetings are for."

The Asgardian nodded solemnly. "If it is agreed, then, I can call for them and have them join us here."

"I'm in favor," Steve glanced around the table. "Any objections?"

When nothing was said for a long moment, Fury sighed. He was outmaneuvered and knew it, though his glare wasn't as harsh as it likely would have been if he'd suspected the truth. "Fine. I'll let them onto my base. Make sure you clear them with security."

"Of course," Thor said, smiling slightly.

That afternoon, Pepper approached Steve in the commissary holding a tray of food. "May I?"

Caught with his mouth full, Steve nodded, quickly swallowing. "Sure. What can I do for you?"

"I just wanted to make sure Tony did not offend you. He can be very blunt when he chooses, and not always in a situation where it's helpful or needed."

Steve laughed. "No. He surprised me, but I wasn't offended." He paused for a moment, considering his next words. Pepper waited, seeming to know that he had more to say. "Can I ask you something personal," he ventured.

"You can ask. I may choose not to answer."

"Fair enough. You and Tony. Are you..." Steve trailed off, looking for the right word.

"Lovers?" Pepper supplied. "Yes, though there is a lot more to our relationship than that. And not in the way I know you're about to assume."

"I-- okay, if it's not what I think, what is it, then?"

She collected herself, her phrasing clearly careful. "Our people tend to treat relationships the way your people treat contracts. A lot of thought and discussion goes into laying down the rules, and there are consequences, sometimes serious ones, if they are broken. But it is not absolute, and the rules can change, can be adapted, if the situation calls for it."

"Sounds a lot like a marriage."

"It is not. Not precisely. Based on my understanding of your people, for many land-bound the idea of marriage is a much less structured concept, not discussed in detail, as our arrangements are. Your idea of what marriage means, Captain, is different from that of most of your people; I will not speculate on why. The formation of a relationship in Asgard is simultaneously a more and less formal arrangement than a marriage, as _you_ think of it. I suspect it wold be nearly incomprehensible to most land-bound. Further, there are contracts between three and more people in Asgard, though those are far rarer than the usual pairings. Nor do we see an arrangement between two men or two women as distasteful, as the land-bound do. There is a custom we have that is similar to your concept of exchanging rings and vows, but it is bound up in magic and myth, even by our standards, and difficult to explain. It is only occasionally used, and difficult to perform properly."[4][4a]

Steve knew he probably looked as surprised and baffled as he felt. "So... why is Tony hitting on me, then?"

Pepper shook her head, smiling wryly. "That is far easier to explain. Our agreement includes a clause for the inclusion of a third, if both of us can agree on whom it should be, and if the third consents. And Tony is Tony. He frequently is not satisfied with what most have, desiring the most difficult things and people to obtain."

That was... wow. The implications. But-- "Should I be worried?"

The slightly sardonic question got him a melodic laugh in response. "Hardly. But think about it. Tony wants to offer you a chance to join us, and is doing his best to convince me."

"I-- why _me_?"

"That is another answer that is both simple and complex, and is rooted in who you are. Tony likes you quite a lot. I am willing to be convinced, based on what I have seen of you. Your integrity feels a bit like a light in the darkness to us."

Steve felt the brush of phantom nails on skin again, but this time there was far less pressure behind it. Almost as though he were getting used to the feeling. He always had adapted quickly to things and picked up new skills with what others termed 'frightening ease'. When he met Pepper's eyes, she looked shocked. "How did you do that?"

"Do what?"

"I--" She seemed at a loss for words. "This will require a lengthy and possibly sensitive explanation. Perhaps you would be more comfortable in a less public area?"

Intrigued now, Steve nodded. He'd cleared his plate on auto-pilot as they'd talked, so he felt no particular need to stay. Pepper's plate was still full, though. "Take that with you," he gestured to the plate, getting the strangest feeling of unease and confusion as he did. It reminded him of the clammy feeling of wearing his armour in the Alps, fighting in the humidity of late fall season, sweating only to have the moisture sap all the warmth out of his skin. He dismissed it. There was no reason for him to feel that way. He'd had vague hunches and almost-premonitions before, while he'd been running with the Commandoes. He'd gotten them out of more than one ambush that way. But this was different. Out of nowhere and tinged with a hint of what he could only classify as 'other'. "Don't skip your meal on my account," he added.

The unease faded, and Pepper smiled slightly. "Very well."

"Come on, we can use my room, if that's okay." Standing, Steve picked up his plate to put in the stack destined for the kitchen's dishwasher, then headed for the door.

"That's fine. As long as we're not overheard. Thor removed the listening devices in his quarters long ago."

"He what?" Steve stopped short, nearly causing Pepper to run into him and putting him squarely into the path of an agent who looked vaguely irritated as she stepped around him. She paid no attention whatever to the redhead behind him, Steve noted, bemused as he called a vague apology over his shoulder.

Pepper gave him an arch look as he turned to look at her. "Your Director is rather paranoid."

The idea that Fury had potentially been spying on him for who-knew-how-long was a problem for another day, Steve decided, angry as the thought made him. "Better find a quiet place outside, then. Come on. You might want a jacket, though."

As it turned out, she had none. Surprised by this, and slightly baffled, Steve grabbed his spare. It would be far too big for her, but the weather was blustery at best in New York in early April. Leading her up to the top floor of the building, and opening the door for the roof access, he paused, glancing around. No one was in sight, and anyone who could hide well enough not to be noticed out here was probably already on his team. Casually draping the jacket over Pepper's shoulders, he prompted, "So?"

She hesitated for a moment. "Captain, what race are you?"

"What?" That was most certainly _not_ the question he had expected her to lead with.

"Your abilities did not read as baseline land-bound from the moment we met, and Tony confirmed that when I asked him, but this is... surprising."

"What are you talking about?"

"Captain, you are far faster, stronger, smarter, and quicker to heal than the vast majority of the land-bound population."

"Yeah, well, I had some help with that."

"Be that as it may. The point stands." Pepper paused, a strange expression flitting across her features for a moment. Steve thought he imagined a quick touch, but to her skin rather than to his. It was disorienting for all that it evoked the pleasant sensation of rubbing his hand against the grain of a velvet upholstered chair, soft and almost leisurely. "Normally, reading the land-bound requires a lot of effort, since they tend to be less than receptive. Their physiology and psyche aren't set up for it. You, though..."

Steve waited not-quite-patiently for her to continue. When she didn't, he asked. "What about me?"

"You seem to get easier to read every time we try."

"Who's we?" Steve was tempted to growl in frustration. It felt like every time he talked to one of the Asgardians his life got more complicated and stranger.

"Myself and Tony."

"And Thor?" Thor was also Asgardian, and, Steve realised, he hadn't been asking any questions about the warrior.

"Thor has little aptitude for that kind of reading. He has but traces of the power."

"So what you're trying to tell me is that I'm different. That's not news."

"I am trying to tell you that you may have power you do not yet know about, Captain. That you may share in some of the abilities that are prized in Asgard."

Before Steve could reply, the roof access opened and he felt a faint hint of mingled relief and amusement as Tony called out to them. "Pepper! I see how it is. You sneak off for a moment alone with the Captain and leave me out?"

Shaking his head to clear it, Steve missed Pepper's reply. When he reopened his eyes Tony was leaning against Pepper and the sense of touch without touch was back. It was a nearly overwhelming wash of adoration and reassurance, now, manifesting as the smell of freshly mown grass and a hint of cologne.

"He looks a bit dazed." A hint of concern entered the mix as Steve managed to regain control, harshly shoving the sensations and the associations they caused down out of his awareness. This was like being cut adrift at sea without a compass. "Pepper, what'd you do?"

"Nothing out of the ordinary. I tried to read him before we came up here, and it was different. Easier. Tony, I think he might be able to feel it."

Tony looked stunned, and a sensation of surprise hit Steve like a shock of cool water. "That... could be problematic."

"Tell me about it," Steve managed through gritted teeth. "What the hell is going on?"

Carefully, Tony pulled out of Pepper's embrace and stepped toward Steve. Thankfully, the tides that had been pulling at Steve calmed. "Don't freak out on me now. I can feel you wanting to panic. This might get a little weird, but it's nothing to be scared of."

"I'm pretty sure I'm feeling emotions that aren't mine," Steve retorted. "That's not exactly something relaxing."

Tony snorted, amused, and Steve felt himself calm somewhat, reassured a little by Tony's complete lack of worry. "Comes with the territory. Give me your hand."

Eying him a little warily, Steve hesitated for a moment. "What for?"

"So we can test your little theory."

"You can do that?"

"I can," Tony affirmed. Behind him, Pepper nodded. "Most Asgardians only have very low-level powers. Actually less than what you're both describing."

"And you're good enough to tell the difference."

A smug expression briefly twisted Tony's features before Pepper prodded at his shoulder, wordlessly reminding him to get to the point. "I am. So, I guess the real question is: do you trust me?"

Pepper tensed, unsure, at the bald question. Steve considered both of them for a long moment. Reluctantly, he nodded, offering his hand. "You try anything funny, and I won't be happy about it."

"Noted." The grip Tony chose was light and around Steve's wrist, rather than his hand. A grip that would be easy to break if he felt like it. Steve found himself automatically echoing the grip. Tony's arm felt almost delicate under his hand despite the obvious strength Steve knew the man had. And then the world went suddenly quiet.

For a few seconds that felt like days, Steve allowed himself to relax. Oddly, he felt safer here and now than he had anywhere in years. As he relaxed, the strange non-physical touch he was beginning to associate with Tony and Pepper gradually impinged on his awareness again. It was somehow gentler now than the last few times he'd felt it.

_\-- That would be because you aren't resisting. --_

Startled by the way the words drifted into his head, almost mingling with the rest of his thoughts, Steve jerked, nearly breaking Tony's grip. When nothing more happened, he realised what and who that had been.

 _\-- Yeah, see? I told you it might be weird, --_ Tony added, his amusement clear in the words. The sensation of the amusement itself was an odd mix, falling somewhere between the taste of crisp summer apple and the smell of winter snow[5].

Tony broke the connection, then, letting go of Steve's wrist and stepping back. He looked abruptly tired. "You were right, Pep," he added quietly. "Now what?"

Steve, still a bit off balance, suggested, "well, you could start by telling me what just happened, and how to use this... whatever it is."

"Not a lot of time for that, Cap," Tony replied. "Thor's planning to formally introduce us on base tonight or first thing tomorrow morning, and I'm almost sure Fury will want to send your team after Loki the following morning, after he's gotten whatever information on the situation that he can."

"Give me the five-minute version, now, then."

"Well," Pepper broke her silence, "you can sense emotions, much as we can, and share thoughts through touch. At least with someone like us who has the ability to do so. Whether you can do that with other land-bound is undetermined. You have no shields to speak of, so you have little in the way of defense against attacks targeting those abilities."

"Abilities I didn't have before."

"Abilities that were latent," Tony corrected. "Unfortunately, reading you seems to have awakened them. At least partially. Sorry."

"So you don't have time to show me how to shield, as you call it." The irony of not having a shield for his thoughts like he had for his body wasn't lost on him.

It was more statement than question, but Tony replied anyway. "Not really. You have two options. Well, three. One: I could show you the basics in the time we have, but against someone like Loki, that won't do much to help you. Two: you could do nothing."

"Or?"

"Or one of us could shield you."

"There's something about that last option that you don't want to tell me." Steve gave both Asgardians a long level look. "What is it?"

Tony leaned against Pepper, seeming to take strength from her presence. "It's tiring, and means whichever of us is shielding for you couldn't do much else until they _stopped_ shielding for you. And it's... well... intimate."

"Meaning?"

"You know what we just did? Take that and think a few times more intense. We'd be completely open to each other. Would have to be for it to work."

"Oh." Steve stumbled to a stop, unsure how to feel about _that_ idea. "Let's keep that in reserve, for now. Meantime, show me the basics anyway."

This time it was Pepper who replied. "Not now. I don't have the finesse, and Tony needs to rest." She turned to him. "Did you even eat today?"

Tony grimaced and stayed silent, looking slightly sullen. Watching Pepper do her level best to force Tony to eat what she'd brought along for herself, Steve decided it was clearly an argument they'd had before. It was probably an argument they had frequently. Rolling his eyes, Tony accepted the plate, snarking back at her as he did. Steve found himself smiling crookedly, amused despite the revelations of the past few minutes and his lingering disquietude.

The whole scene was oddly comforting.

It lent a sense of normalcy to the strange turn the day had taken. The sense that he was not ignored, but simply accepted and not required to join the conversation also helped. That was something he'd missed, even with his team. Steve joined them, sitting a short distance away, lost in his own thoughts.

He'd had something similar with the Commandoes, but not since. Natasha and Clint came close, but there was a wary edge to them anytime someone was around. Except perhaps around each other, not that he'd ever had a chance to see that. Bruce was always on edge. And Thor. Well, Thor didn't seem to know what the word quiet meant. There was always a joke or a tale to be told when he was in the room. Which had its own appeal, but it didn't reach into him and satisfy the need to simply be the way this did. That a pair of relative newcomers, albeit a pair he found he trusted more with every passing hour, could do that was ... surprising. And completely unexpected.

Pepper's words from earlier suddenly had a lot more meaning.

_Think about it._

Steve nodded to himself. Perhaps he should, while there was still calm in which to do it. Once they were sent out to deal with Loki, calm was sure to be in short supply. But trying to work that out while they were around felt... wrong. Standing, Steve took in the scene, trying to fix it in his memory, before he headed for the roof access. Maybe he'd better hit the gym. Repetitive tasks had always helped him think.

 

Chapter 3

The captain remained where he was, quietly watching them for maybe half an hour after Tony had eaten and he and Pepper had fallen into conversation about some trifle, before standing and making his way indoors. Tony couldn't help but be aware of every shift in the captain's mood. Partially because he liked the man, and partially as a result of the close contact they'd had only minutes ago.

After the sharing earlier, the idea of reading the captain's surface thoughts felt ... invasive. The primarily thoughtful feel to him was reassuring, though. At least, Tony smiled crookedly at the thought, the captain hadn't freaked out much during the time it had taken Tony to get a good read on his abilities.

Teaching him how to shield would be... interesting. That would probably end up being almost as intense as shielding _for_ him, unless the captain learned very quickly, judging by the last few hour. It was clear that he also had the potential to learn control his new abilities as well. His reactions had already shown a rudimentary awareness of their use and what _not_ to do, even if he had no way of filtering what went in and out. The way he'd calmly let Tony in then relaxed and all but radiated strong feelings of 'safe' had been unexpected, though, after his initial wariness. So, clearly willing to deal with the unknown in a way that was more productive than freaking out.

Tony had also gotten a few impressions of the past to go along with the feelings of 'safe'. Probably other associations with the feeling. Faint, almost sepia, images of people, mostly, clearly old friends. And just as clearly no longer alive. Or, rather, the feeling that they might as well be. A lot of resignation was attached to those images. A lot of sadness, too. And those had led the captain to remember that he had recovered from the events that had caused the sadness and resignation. No detail about the events themselves, or the -- surprisingly short -- recovery. Simply the knowledge that he'd succeeded, and that he probably could again if he had to. And that he didn't want to have to.

It had been a simultaneously humbling and intriguing insight into his character.

"Tony?" Pepper's voice was quiet, almost a murmur.

"Mmm?" Still considering the ramifications of their respective discoveries about the captain, Tony simply hummed an acknowledgment.

"Do you really think we triggered his abilities?"

Forcing himself to focus, feeling Pepper's vague guilt, Tony sighed before wrapping an arm around her shoulders and pulling her close, his arm slipping under the jacket the captain had clearly brought her out of his sense of chivalry and caring. One more thing about the man that was worth admiring, tony decided. But, it had taken him years to learn how to read her well, and he wasn't about to waste the knowledge. "Maybe. Or maybe Loki did during that fight they had before we got here. We may never know."

"It just..." The feeling of vague guilt intensified slightly.

"No, Pep. You can't think like that. Even if we did trigger it, he obviously bears us no ill will. Nor could we have done anything about it. Even he himself didn't know about the possibility of this happening."

Pepper didn't reply, instead turning her face into his shoulder and seeking comfort.

"Yeah," Tony continued, calmly ignoring the sudden slight dampness of his shirtsleeve, "true, this complicates everything, but we'll find a way to deal with it. The captain certainly will, at any rate, and I intend to help him as much as I know how. He adapts quickly to changes. I saw that much, earlier."

Pepper lifted her head enough to ask, "what do you mean?"

"Pep, the man has seen a lot of abrupt changes in his life. I didn't get details, but he lost his entire team somehow, and only recently managed to put together this one. And there was a hint of a potential love that he lost around the same time as the initial team. This isn't the first challenge he's faced on a personal level. He'll come through fine."

Straightening and wiping at her face, Pepper composed herself. With a deep inhalation and a slow exhalation she carefully re-centered herself. "You're probably right, but it feels wrong to force him into this."

Tony snorted. "No one and nothing is forcing him into anything, except maybe circumstance. You know that as well as I do. Come on, let's go monopolise Thor's bathtub."

"Really, Tony? Sex isn't the answer to everything."

Tony smirked at her, irrepressible again, his somber mood thrown off like a ragged cloak. "Well I was just going to offer you a backrub, but if you want to take it a bit farther..."

Standing, Pepper walked to the roof access. "Well, are you coming?"

"Not yet. That's for a little later."

Rolling her eyes at the terrible joke, Pepper opened the door and stepped through, not bothering to watch him follow. With one last glance around the rooftop and the view of the city beyond, Tony consciously forced himself to set aside all of the stress and worry that he had simply been suppressing before Pepper's parting comment. Smile lighter and broader, he followed. This would all work out in the end. That much was for sure. The only question was: how and when.

\-- ~~ --

Some three hours later, about when his internal clock told him the sun should be setting, Steve hadn't come to any solid conclusions. Yes, they were interested and he was intrigued, but after this mission they would be disappearing back to Asgard, and he wouldn't be able to follow, given his obligations. Would it be worth the pain of getting attached -- well, moreso than he already was -- only to have them leave again in a few days or weeks?

He didn't know.

But those thoughts would apparently have to be put on hold, he noted. The gym door opened and Clint stepped in, making a beeline for him. "Cap?" 

"Yeah?" Steve steadied the heavy bag when it threatened to swing back on its chain and knock him off balance.

"Fury's calling a meeting in twenty. Apparently Thor's buddies have 'arrived'."

Steve could hear the quotes and gave Hawkeye a bemused glance. "Careful. Don't out them to Director Fury."

"Yeah, yeah, I know. Don't worry, I'd prefer to have them around when things go down. Better than being effectively defenseless."

It might be worse than that, Steve knew, but he kept the thought to himself. He still wasn't entirely comfortable with the idea that he could sense emotions. But, on the other hand, he wasn't getting much of anything from Clint, so maybe he would be in the clear except when he was with the Asgardians.

He'd have to be careful during the meeting.

But first, he needed to shower and change. Last time he'd shown up straight from the gym Fury had taken one look at him and told him not to come back until he'd cleaned up. That he would wait those ten minutes. Natasha had smirked about it for weeks.

Quickly gathering up his things, Steve slung his towel into the hamper beside the door as he left the room, his bag over his shoulder and unwrapping his hands as he walked. It seemed prudent to assume the mission was going to pick back up sooner than he'd thought. After the meeting, he resolved, he would track down Tony. If they were going to be dealing with Loki soon, he would need to get that lesson Tony had promised him earlier. He wanted to be as prepared as possible. Even if Tony didn't think it would help much.

Everyone was assembled when he entered the conference room, his hair still damp. Thor stood near the head of the table, flanked by Tony and Pepper. His team lounged in their chairs in various states of 'attention'. Natasha was as professional as always. Clint... less so. His more casual posture echoing his level of interest in the proceedings. Bruce slouched in his chair opposite Clint, apparently asleep. The team had learned that that generally meant he was paying attention to everything else more than his sight. Somehow be managed to pull more nuance and meaning out of what he heard that way. Steve didn't really understand how that was possible, but it worked for Bruce.

After a moment of silence, Fury stood, taking the floor, the white streaks in his hair catching the light and almost seeming to shine briefly. "Now that Rogers is here, I expect you yahoos to actually pay attention. Thor's brought in his friends to assist us, and y'all better listen to what they have to say."

A hint of amusement Steve was fairly sure came from Tony momentarily caught his attention. He had to hide a smirk of his own when Pepper subtly elbowed Tony and the feeling of amusement faded. When Steve refocused, Fury was still talking. "They have information on Loki and his capabilities that you'll need when you take him on. I expect you to take their information into account when you plan your strategy for dealing with the threat, Rogers."

Thor was getting edgier by the moment, so Steve nodded at Fury, interceding before the building tension broke. "Sir. What information do they have for us?"

"I'll let them speak for themselves."

Tony not-so-subtly rolled his eyes at that statement as Pepper stepped forward and began speaking. Just slightly out of sync with her, Tony stepped forward as well. They had already heard this information, so Steve pretended attention, and simply watched the pair of Asgardians flanking Thor instead. Tony, glancing around the room as Pepper spoke, caught Steve's eyes and shrugged. The motion threw his shirt collar askew just enough to reveal a fresh bruise Steve was fairly certain hadn't been there earlier that afternoon. What could he have he gotten up to--

Oh. Right.

Forcing himself to keep a straight face, Steve tried to pay attention to Pepper's words. It didn't work well. He kept getting distracted by the bruise on Tony's neck that was all the more obvious for being partially hidden by his collar. If he didn't know better, he'd have thought Tony was _trying_ to draw attention to it.

As Steve finished the thought, Tony straightened, squaring his shoulders and taking over the narrative without missing a beat, the collar of his shirt once again covering up the bruise. Well. More or less.

The meeting eventually concluded, but Steve didn't remember a moment of it, despite having been called on to discuss strategy. Couldn't bring himself to care much, either. It had all been information he'd heard once before and had already processed. His focus was more on the supplementary information he intended to get out of Tony and Pepper, now that he had a chance.

Clearly divining what Steve wanted, Tony spoke first, watching as Steve approached him with purpose the moment the meeting was concluded. "Come meet us on the roof in fifteen. We can talk more comfortably there."

\-- ~~ --

Tony had had a hard time keeping a straight face during the meeting. The captain's fascination with the hickey he couldn't quite hide -- and so tried to play off by ignoring -- had fallen somewhere between hilarious and utterly distracting. Pepper had noticed it, too.

As he opened the roof access door and looked around, Pepper spoke, the jacket the captain had lent her earlier draped over her arm. "Tony?"

"What is it, Pep?"

Noting happily that, once again, the area was empty except for them, Tony refocused. "How do you plan to pull this off?"

With a shrug, Tony replied. "You assume that I _have_ a plan. I don't. I have no idea how this will work. The last few times we tried to make plans that involved the good captain, they crashed and burned within hours."

Pepper made a face. "You have a point."

Settling comfortably against one another in the growing twilight, they waited for the captain to show up. The clear day had given way to a chill breeze and a beautiful sunset, the last few rays of which were just still visible. The morning star shone brightly low in the sky, a brilliant point of white light against a darkening indigo background.

Somewhat before the fifteen minutes were up, the roof access door opened, and the captain appeared. He looked irritated and slightly disheveled. His clothes were slightly askew. Moreso than they had been during the meeting, interestingly. Catching sight of them, the captain paused a moment to straighten himself out before joining them. He suddenly looked much less stressed when he did, too, which was interesting. "Hope I didn't keep you waiting," he quipped, clearly knowing quite well that he was early.

Tony huffed in amusement. "Nah, we were enjoying the clear weather."

Pepper nodded her agreement. "It is not often that we have a chance to enjoy a sunset like this."

With an expression of mingled apprehension and interest, the captain caught Tony's eyes. "So how is this going to work?"

"Well, that depends on you, really. The overall approach is more or less the same as what we did a few hours ago. Just a little more involved and it requires audience participation. It will probably be confusing at first."

Partially reassured by that, the captain nodded, offering his hand in clear invitation. "I think I'll cope."

"That's what you say now," Tony joked, taking the captain's hand and opening himself just enough to get a clear read on him. This was the disorienting part, for Tony. He would be seeing and feeling things from the captain's perspective. Physically and emotionally. Seeing and feeling yourself touching someone else was weird, no matter how many times you did it, even if you did get used to it after a few seconds. Oh, and apparently his skin was getting too dry again.

The captain somehow managed to convey a raised eyebrow. _\-- Hrm. Sorry. Didn't mean to send that. --_

Haltingly, he got a response. _\-- You-- you mean there's-- way not to? --_

_\-- Tough to explain. Here, let me show you. --_

It was similar to the difference between inner monologue and verbal speech, but a little off-axis and difficult to put into words. The captain seemed to grasp the idea of sent-speech[6] without much trouble, though.

It was natural to segue from there into the principles of shielding. That wasn't much different really, from a conceptual standpoint. Being able to tell what you felt from what others felt was the key, and the captain already knew how to do that. That much had been obvious from his questions earlier in the day. Having a sense of 'self' and 'other' made it possible to keep the two separate. _\-- It isn't quite the same as building a wall between yourself and the world, -- _he explained as he shared his understanding of the principles, _\-- because if you were to do that, it would become a lot more permanent of a separation than simply filtering, like most Asgardians do when they shield. You can do it, and it gives you a lot more protection than filtering, but unless you know how to tear down the wall, you're liable to get stuck. Some of our people have gone mad from trying it and being unable to get back out. It's not recommended unless it's as a last resort, and even then it's a Bad Idea. --___

__The contemplative feel coming from the captain grew suddenly more muted, and Tony smiled, physically, watching him immediately use what he'd learned. _\-- Good. It's also possible to shield against specific people, if you need to. It's a bit like the equivalent of putting your fingers in your ears, but it works until they figure out you're doing it. --__ _

__A flash of a memory from years ago when he'd been incredibly angry at Pepper for a few days surfaced before he could stop it, proving his point. They had only just begun their relationship, and still had a few rough edges to wear down. He'd ignored her for a while. Until she'd forced him to listen to her. Both of them knew better, now._ _

__Rather than understanding, though, the response from the captain was mostly surprise. Which surprised Tony in turn. Not sure what had caused the reaction, he carefully asked, _\-- You okay? --__ _

___\-- Fine, --_ the captain replied without hesitation. His surprise had disappeared again, to be replaced with curiousity, and, Tony noted, he was already showing much more ease with this mode of speech. _\-- Was that... Pepper? --__ _

___\-- Yes? --_ Tony knew his response telegraphed his own growing confusion. It was underlaid with smug satisfaction that the captain was learning so quickly, though. The man was apparently an information sponge, Tony concluded._ _

__A flash of amusement from the captain let him know the sentiment had been understood before the next question came through. _\-- So Asgardians are mermen? --__ _

___\-- You didn't know? --_ A feeling of negation from the captain confirmed the assumption as truth. _\-- You didn't know. Thor never told you. --__ _

___\-- To be fair, we found him wandering in a desert, and afterward it never came up. How was I supposed to guess that the man we found in the middle of nowhere in a New Mexico desert was part fish? --_ _ _

___\-- You what?! --_ That was _not_ at all what Tony had expected. _\-- Now that's a story I have to hear. --_

 _\-- When we asked him about his homeland, he just described it as being so far from accessible to humans that it might as well be on another plane of existence, --_ the captain added, then fumbled to share his memory of the event. It came through slightly jumbled, but the thread was clear. The story itself, from the captain's perspective, at least, was a bit disappointing. They had literally found Thor wandering in the desert and a meteor crater nearby that they had been sent to investigate, which Tony suspected had been made by Mjölnir. Meteor. Heh. Well, close enough.

Once he'd parsed the information, Tony resolved to tease Thor about it a bit and then proceeded to give the captain a hastily prepared crash course on Asgard and Asgardians. _\-- The other underwater races call us 'sirens', and the land-bound seem to like that term as well, going based on what I've seen surface in the tales of the nation you know as Greece. We're a lot like you land-bound, biologically, with the exception of the psychic powers, but socially things are very different. --_ Gathering up as much of the basic information as he could without being overwhelming, he appended it to his sent-speech[7].

There was a near-silence for a long moment after that, while the captain considered. Then the captain offered Tony another piece of information in return. Well, several. And all of them were startling in their nature. Firstly that the captain had somehow managed to get himself frozen in ice. There was nothing more on that than the simple fact that it had happened. The emotion attached to it warned him not to ask, either. Secondly, that he had survived the ordeal. (That much had been obvious to Tony from the start, but, well.) Third, that there had been a bunch of fish scales seemingly randomly buried in the ice around him in no particular pattern. The guys who had defrosted him had decided they were the remains of a fish that got killed and eaten nearby at the time, but it had always seemed, well, fishy, to Steve, and if he was showing signs of other Asgardian abilities...

Tony had no idea what to make of that, really. It was true that Asgardians were much better equipped to handle cold water climates, like the North Atlantic, than the land-bound, but none had ever gotten frozen and survived. His father and Erskine had once argued about that, but not arrived at any satisfactory conclusion. Howard had ranted about it for years, even after the scientist's death. Until his own death, ironically in an accident researching the effects of cold on Asgardians and erotu, Howard had always maintained it was impossible.

There was a brief note of surprise from the captain. He must have let a few things slip in his surprise. _\-- You knew Dr. Erskine, --_ the captain asked. That was a name he hadn't ever expected to hear again from anyone who'd known the man.

_\-- Not well. Why? --_

The response had an image-memory attached. _\-- This man? --_

Holy shit. Now Tony stuttered. _\-- How? What--? --_

 _\-- He was involved in the top secret super-soldier project that the US Army developed in response to the Nazi program. How he got in, I don't know. The doctors were fairly sure his serum was what kept me alive during, well. You know. Got killed right after he made me... me. And now, I'm kinda starting to wonder just what in the name of all that is holy he_ actually did to me. -- There was a sound-memory attached this time, ghostly pale and oddly foreboding. _"You must take care, Steven, not to let anyone outside this project know how we have achieved our results. There are many who would misuse that knowledge." "How could I? I don't know, myself." "Afterwards. I will tell you afterwards. If it works."_

Tony sighed. _\-- Don't ask me, Captain. I mainly heard stories about him from Howard. Only met him a few times as a child. --_

A burst of mild irritation accompanied the captain's rejoinder. _\-- Oh, for-- You've known me long enough. Call me Steve unless we're in public or on mission. Well, for however long this lasts. --_

'Captain' suited him better, if you asked Tony. It might take some time to convince the captain, however. And clearly there were a lot of misapprehensions going around. On both their parts, really. _\-- What do you mean, 'however long this lasts'? --_ The captain, no, Steve, waited, giving Tony the equivalent of a long level look. _\-- No, really, --_ Tony insisted. _\-- What do you mean? --_

He got the impression of a shrug. _\-- You're going home after this mission, aren't you? --_

 _\-- That was the original plan, yeah. --_ Tony waited, not completely sure where this was going.

 _\-- That's what I meant. --_ Steve's sent-speech carried enough resignation with it to tell Tony he had read more into that plan's existence than he or Pepper had intended.

 _\-- Steve, --_ Tony paused, trying to choose his words carefully. _\-- That plan was never intended to be set in stone. --_ Physically, he reached out for Pepper, taking her hand in his as he had Steve's. It was always difficult to tell how much time passed when communing in sent-speech, given how much faster it was, but Pepper didn't seem to think it had been overly long. Dismissing that particular problem as irrelevant for the moment, Tony invited her in. _\-- Pepper? --_

 _\-- Tony? --_ She sounded puzzled. _\-- What's wrong? --_

 _\-- Tell the captain how we feel about plans? --_ Tony could feel Steve closing up, pulling back behind his newly implemented defenses. Knew she could feel it, too.

 _\-- Plans? --_ There was the feel of an arched eyebrow appended to the question. _\-- What? You mean the tentative plans we made with the intention to change them as the situation demanded? --_

 _\-- Yes, those. The captain, --_ Tony paused and smirked, entirely unrepentant, as a hint of annoyance came from Steve, _\-- sorry,_ Steve, thinks we're going home after the mission regardless of what happens. -- 

Pepper's incredulous surprise came through clearly. _\-- Surely he does not think us so cruel as to offer him an invitation and then disappear? --_

 _\-- He seems to think exactly that, --_ Tony knew his glee and Pepper's affront were easy for Steve to read, too. _\-- I'm trying to convince him otherwise. --_ The advantage being that lying was all but impossible when using sent-speech, though Steve might not be aware of that.

Pepper's only response -- clearly directed at Steve -- was a very clear, detailed, and altogether hot image of the three of them in a rather involved session in bed. _\-- But if we leave, we would not have a chance to try this one... --_

Tony adored her. Really he did. And it was especially clear to him in moments like this that he had chosen well when he'd decided to try a relationship with her.

Steve, still radiating uncertainty -- and now also a fairly high level of embarrassment -- seemed to uncoil a little. _\-- Pepper, --_ he put in, caught between his blush and a feeling of intrigued interest, _\-- I'm not entirely sure that one's physically possible. --_

 _\-- Care to wager on that? --_ Pepper's smirk was almost audible.

Oh, this would be fun. Tony laughed out loud as he carefully broke the connection to find less than fifteen minutes had passed. The stars had come out, meantime, sparkling coldly overhead and the air had cooled noticeably. But it appeared they would get their chance with the captain, and that it might, just might, be a far longer-lived relationship than any of them had expected, if Steve's suspicions about Erskine's formula were true.

 

Chapter 4

The following morning, before dawn had a chance to truly break, the call to assemble sounded. Steve groaned softly as he tried to rub some of the grit out of his eyes. He hadn't gotten much sleep, tossing and turning as he tried to clear his mind properly. His restless thoughts and vague worries about Loki and the looming attack hadn't made that easy. In the end, he had probably only managed to get about three hours of sleep.

Throwing his blankets to the side to pile against the wall, he stood, stretching, feeling and hearing the pops as his neck and spine straightened properly. Slightly more awake, he reached for the uniform he kept on hand for such occasions. His second was down in the armoury, meant for the call-outs that required him to carry other weaponry besides his shield. Pulling it on was the work of under a minute, the motions made smooth and quick by practice, the lightweight armour fitting into place without fuss. The harness for his shield was next, followed by the shield itself, slotted into place in the harness. His cowl in his left hand, Steve opened his door and made his way to the usual conference room, forcing back a yawn.

 _Something tells me this is going to get messy._ Steve shivered, an odd feeling of foreboding falling over him.

"You're probably right," Tony appeared, seemingly out of thin air, to fall in step with him, making Steve jump.

Steve glowered at the man. "That's not reassuring."

"Wasn't meant to be."

Steve was saved from having to come up with a suitable retort by their arrival at the conference room. The rest of the team was already present and suited up when they entered. Everyone looked up from what they were doing.

"Finally," Fury gave Steve a half-glare, launching into his explanation of the situation without missing a beat. "I've been given reports by Thor's friends, here, that claim Loki and his minions are going to hit downtown in under an hour. I expect you yahoos to put a stop to it. If he makes us look like fools a second time on your watch, Rogers, there'll be hell to pay."

Steve met the look levelly. "Sir."

"You're going with them, Stark. Suit up, if you need to."

"Don't worry about me," Tony quipped. "I'll be fine."

Steve felt a brief not-touch, directed back toward the quarters he knew the newcomers had been sharing with Thor. Probably aimed at Pepper. He didn't know what it meant, so he dismissed it. There were more pressing matters, in any case. "Right. Avengers, assemble!"

The team stood as one and made for the door, following Steve and Tony. One step to Steve's right and just behind him, Tony took up position at his shoulder as though he'd always been there, fluidly and naturally. As though he had snapped into sync with Steve the moment he'd appeared at his side earlier. He got a hint of amusement in response that seemed to convey the sense that he was stating the obvious. This whole empathy thing would take a bit more getting used to, Steve decided. Sometimes it was merely distracting, and other times it was downright weird.

Without a word, the team made their way to the hangar and their assigned quinjet, climbing aboard and strapping themselves in. Tony followed their lead, albeit with a hint of trepidation. He'd probably never flown before, Steve realised, turning to catch Tony's eyes. He got a reassuring smile in return.

"Where we headed, Cap," Clint asked from the pilot's seat.

"Liberty Island. We'll have a better chance to contain things from there than if we do this anywhere else, and there'll be less damage to worry about, after."

A vicious curse from Natasha made Tony snicker. "That about sums it up," he agreed with her, nodding.

Only minutes later, Clint had smoothly landed the jet and the team exited it. "Assistant Director Hill," Steve cued his comm, still working through the tactical implications of the location of the imminent battle, "request that ferry traffic to Liberty Island be suspended."

"Copy, Captain Rogers. The request will go in, but since no one's at the office yet to reply who knows whether it'll help. Hill out."

Clint sighed. "Typical. Hey, Thor, give me a lift up to the torch with that magic hammer of yours, would you?"

"Certainly, friend Hawkeye." Thor wrapped an arm around Clint, his hand tangling in the archer's quiver harness for added security, and they were off, soaring through the air much like one of Clint's arrows.

Quick as he was, before Thor could get back to ground level, the waters around the island began to roil. Slowly rising up out of the water to hang suspended about a meter above the surface, Loki appeared, wreathed in emerald green light that seemed to strike sparks off his scales. "Stark," he sneered, "come to save your precious prince, have you?"

Prince? Steve wasn't quite sure what that meant. Surely Thor wasn't--

"You know, Loki, this isn't going to end in your favour," Tony's reply broke into Steve's thoughts. "True, Asgard has a throne, and you might achieve ascendancy for a time, but you won't be able to keep it." Tony raised an eyebrow at the _erotu_ , and the sensation of not-touch strengthened suddenly, directed at Loki, whose eyes seemed to clear slightly. "Maybe your army comes, and maybe it's too much for us, but what will that prove? What will that gain you, Loki?"

A moment passed, stretching, as more of the _erotu_ Loki had assembled for his assault broke the waves behind and around him, before the lucidity left Loki's eyes once more. "I will be _king_ , you witless ape!"

With an abrupt, imperious gesture, Loki pointed to Thor. "Kill the impostor!"

The battle the followed was a blur of blows, counters, screams, and arrows. After the first three _erotu_ he intercepted tried to gut him with suddenly appearing claws, Steve found he could only barely keep up with the sheer number of opponents coming at him, which made trying to call out tactics far more difficult. He managed a few. Clint shouted out a few more over the comm.

"Thor, to your left!" A group of _erotu_ approaching Thor from a blind angle caught Steve's attention, even as he fended off three attackers of his own. After that, for a while, the battle fell back into chaos, without pattern. A short eternity measured in blows, tumbling rolls, and dodges later, Clint called out to him. "Cap, on your seven, group of eight."

"Natasha, on your five, high!"

Hulk had yet to join the fight, and, Steve noted, somewhat relieved, Tony was keeping carefully above the mêlée. He had no armour to speak of, and was a lot more vulnerable than the rest of them in that regard. To all appearances, he wasn't doing anything except stare at Loki like he was trying to use his eyes as lasers. Steve suspected different, feeling the sense of complete focus and concentration.

_\-- Steve, dodge right!--_

Steve reacted, movements automatic and without conscious thought, rolling to avoid an overhand blow that probably would have broken bone if it had connected. It didn't register that that hadn't come over the comms until after he'd dodged the attack and moved on to knocking the _erotu_ who'd tried to attack him out cold. How the hell--

He was jarred out of his incredulous wonder by the next attacker. This one managed to land a solid blow on him, punching the breath out of him and knocking him off his feet. Hastily setting aside the problem for later, Steve got back to his feet and retaliated. His ribs twinged, and Steve grimaced, hoping he hadn't cracked them again. He healed quickly, but cracked ribs were seriously unpleasant, regardless.

As he struggled to get back into the rhythm of the fight, Steve heard Tony go down with a cry, swarmed by four _erotu_. The psychic attacks Tony had been holding at bay hit him like a second punch to the gut, followed by a brick to the head. Dazed, Steve staggered before reinforcing his own weak shields and grimly fighting his way over to Tony. The background noise of the battle had effectively been muted by the howling storm of psychic and emotional noise the _erotu_ were apparently generating. Dimly, more focused on keeping himself in the fight than on strategy, he heard Thor roar Loki's name, knew they were grappling for supremacy. Distantly, he knew Clint was calling out suggestions to Natasha, trying to compensate for Steve's sudden preoccupation. They seemed unaffected by the background of emotional noise.

Tony was lying limp on the churned up grass and mud, bleeding from a head wound and glassy-eyed. Steve ruthlessly used his shield to force back the _erotu_ taking advantage of the opportunity to beat him black and blue, standing over Tony and _keeping_ them back. If they survived this, he would be making sure Tony got some kind of armour. Whether or not Tony wanted it. This was unacceptable.

 _\-- You know, I'm fine. Just... gonna stay right here for a bit... --_ came the comment in response. It was a bit weak and faltering, though. Tony screwed his eyes shut for a long moment before re-opening them to focus a bit blearily on Steve. _\-- Have I told you you have a fantastic ass?--_

"Later, Tony," Steve gritted between his teeth, refocussing and pointedly ignoring the flush he felt creeping up his neck. "Natasha, on your left, Clint, call out patterns and strays. Thor, you've got the lightning, light the bastards up. Dr. Banner? You're still in reserve."

Slowly, inch by bloody inch, they beat back the attack. After a few long minutes, during which Steve collected several more bruises, forced as he was to stay in one place to protect Tony, Tony roused more thoroughly, and the psychic noise lessened again, much to Steve's relief. The pained look on Tony's face combined with his pallor were less than reassuring, on the other hand. In the process, while Tony had lain on the ground, temporarily incapacitated, Clint fell from his perch, stunned, when one of Loki's telekinetic attacks struck true. Thankfully, Thor managed to swoop in and catch him, depositing the archer on the ground before launching himself at Loki once more.

Clint stayed there, not moving, letting his head fall back to rest against the base of the statue for a long moment during the short lull in the battle caused by Thor's charge. Relieved of most of his worry over Tony, Steve took advantage of the lull to check on him long enough to make sure he was breathing easily and fully conscious, then turned back to the battle, which was rapidly coming to a close. As the two Asgardians grappled, the battle came to a ragged end around them, with the last few remaining _erotu_ escaping into the open waters beyond the harbour.

"Thor," Tony put in, his slightly hoarse voice breaking the silence building around the pair. "Bind him."

Thor hesitated, looking at Loki and hoping against hope that there might be a chance that it would work.

"You know as well as I do that it's probably the only reasonably permanent way out of this mess," Tony added.

Thor nodded reluctantly, his eyes not leaving Loki's. "You may be right, old friend. But what you speak of is--"

Loki violently thrashed his way free of Thor's grip, hissing, "I will not be Bound! By anyone!" 

"Loki! Brother! Will you not give this a chance?"

"Never!" The hissed reply faded even as Loki disappeared under the waves.

Thor stared out over the water sadly for several eternally long minutes. "I fear this is not the last we have seen of Loki, my friends."

"No, probably not," Steve agreed, as the team gathered around him, some limping more obviously than others. Only Thor had come through this battle mostly unscathed. Turning and cuing his comm, Steve called Hill to request SHIELD come mop up the mess, thankful that the Hulk had not been needed. That meant the property damage was largely cosmetic, in most cases. It held true this time, too. A majority of the lawn around Lady Liberty would need to be re-sodded, but otherwise the damage was minimal if it was present at all. The quinjet hadn't escaped taking its share of damage, though, and Steve winced to think of Fury's reaction to that little detail once they got back to HQ for debriefing. Not much to be done about it, unfortunately. The jet wasn't flight-worthy.

Tony caught his eye, giving him a tired but sardonic look. "It could have been worse, Cap."

The others nodded agreement, albeit a little reluctantly. "It wasn't all that great, either," Clint retorted, gripping Thor's shoulder for balance. Steve suspected he had a concussion. Again. Natasha stood on Thor's other side, her right hand pressed to her upper left arm. Steve could just see the edge of a ragged slash, hastily bandaged with strips of her right uniform pantleg, which now ended at the knee. Tony's injuries were more difficult to determine at a glance. Probably a lot of bruising and a few possible cracked bones, but that would have to be determined by the medics. Steve forced himself to straighten, squaring his shoulders and ignoring the protests from his muscles, not bothering to bite back the pained expression, this time. He was too tired for that. The muscle would heal, and quickly, from the soreness, but he'd have to get his ribs checked out. And possibly his hand. Two of his fingers felt broken. 

When the SHIELD agents assigned clean-up duty arrived, so did their ride back to HQ. Assistant Director Hill's right hand, one Agent Coulson, caught Steve's attention from behind his completely opaque sunglasses and waved the team over, a borrowed coast guard cutter -- possibly the same they'd borrowed last time they'd confronted Loki -- bobbing in the water behind him. "Captain Rogers, if you and your team would care for a lift...?"

Without a word of protest, the team climbed aboard, a few groans of protest rising as they eased themselves into the most comfortable positions they could find. Clint stayed standing, leaning against the railing at the back of the boat. Likely, Steve knew, because he doubted he would make it back to Manhattan without puking. Confident that Coulson would get them back to HQ, or at least the pier, in one piece, Steve allowed himself to lean against the back of his seat and close his eyes for a moment. Just a moment.

 

Chapter 5

It was something of a relief when Steve fell asleep between one breath and the next, pretty clearly not intending to. Tony watched him for a minute, an amused smile teasing at the corners of his expression, before settling back with a wince for the bruises that were already starting to come up. The rest of the team members -- save Thor -- were in similar states of exhaustion. Clint had convinced himself that he wasn't going to vomit and curled up next to a Natasha who was fingercombing his hair. It seemed to calm them both.

After staring over the railing in the direction of the open ocean for a time, his sadness and resignation almost palpable, Thor sighed and forced himself to set those thoughts aside. Taking the few steps across the open deck to settle beside Tony, he leaned back against the wall behind him and let himself take comfort in Tony's presence. Placing one hand over his friend's, offering comfort if it was wanted, Tony added silently, _\-- I know, Thor, I know.--_

There was no verbal response, but Thor visibly relaxed, his posture easing and his head falling back to rest against the wall with a muffled thump. "Don't do that," Tony joked aloud, "you'll give yourself a head injury." Natasha huffed quietly, an amused smirk touching her expression despite her exhaustion.

He got a nearly dismissive snort from Thor in reply. "You are a fine one to talk, my friend. Do you not already have at least two of your own?"

Tony shrugged, not bothering to hide his physical discomfort, and forced himself not to scratch at the dried blood at his right temple. It itched. There had been a short while where he'd been seeing double as Steve stood protectively over him where he lay in the mud, dazed. "Not sure. One? Yeah. Two? We'll see. But it's a possibility."

The boat came to a gentle stop at the pier, bumping against it once before settling. Steve didn't rouse. Tony stood gingerly, testing his balance before he stepped away from the support of the wall. He wavered for a long moment. Long enough for Thor to reach out to steady him, cupping his left elbow and supporting him. Giving his friend a grateful nod, Tony staggered over to Steve, running a hand through his blond hair. Steve blearily turned into the caress, pleased, before waking enough to realise where he was. "Wake up, Cap," Tony quipped. "We're apparently switching rides."

Drawing in a deep breath that hitched when his new bruises protested, Steve nodded. "Be right there."

Rather than wait, Thor offered him a hand up. Steve accepted it gratefully, only belatedly remembering to use his left hand, letting himself be pulled to his feet. 

The others had gathered on the pier, waiting for them, when the trio reached the gangway. A large blocky black and chrome SUV waited only yards behind them, engine idling. Clint turned to climb into the vehicle without a word. Natasha gave them an amused look and a raised eyebrow before following him. Thor shrugged. "Come, my friends. You both need some attending to."

"I'll be fine in a couple of hours," Steve protested.

"Nevertheless. If the rest of us must get checked over, you must as well," Thor disagreed, gently steering Steve toward the waiting vehicle with a hand on his shoulder. Tony had to look away to hide his amusement, moving to take a seat in the SUV, but he was sure Steve and Thor both felt it, regardless. Steve couldn't seem to decide between vague amusement and irritation, himself.

Some fifteen minutes later, they were back at HQ, and getting summarily poked and prodded. The final total was two concussions (Clint's requiring treatment and Tony's almost negligible), various cracked ribs and bruises (everyone but Thor), a bloody but minor head wound that required five stitches to close (Tony), three sets of road rash from falling on concrete (Natasha, Clint, and Steve), and a couple of broken fingers (Steve). All in all, they'd gotten off surprisingly lightly.

Probably thanks to Steve and Thor, Tony reflected, watching Steve try to flex his fingers without thinking and then glare at the contraption keeping him from moving them.

A feather light touch and sent-speech tinged with concern from Pepper interrupted his musings. _\-- Tony?--_

 _\-- We're fine, --_ he sent back, reassuring her as best he could without letting her physically check him over. Steve glanced over at him, seeming to notice the exchange. _\-- Some bumps and bruises, but nothing serious.--_

_\-- You sound... fuzzy.--_

_\-- Yeah, mild concussion. Nothing to freak out over. --_ He added an image of Steve standing over him, defending him during the fight, one foot planted beside each of Tony's shoulders as he caught his shield after a throw that ricocheted off three _erotu_ and knocked them to the ground before returning to his hand. _\-- Cap has a nice ass.--_

 _\-- Tony! I'm not surprised you got injured if you spent your time thinking about the good captain's assets during the fight, --_ she scolded. 

_\-- Well, that was only after I got knocked down in the first place, --_ he admitted, feeling her internal conflict. Caught between frustration, worry and relief, she didn't reply.

He didn't have time to wonder about it, though. Fury strode into the waiting area of the medical wing, long coat flaring around him, and insisted on a debrief session then and there. Tony let the others do the talking. Well, mainly Steve and Thor. Clint spent much of the debrief with his head buried in his hands, and Natasha merely watched events unfold, her expression impassive. Bruce, not having been called on in the fight, had joined them for the debrief, but didn't speak much.

Eventually, not satisfied but convinced he'd gotten the full story, the director left, and the room fell quiet. It was a few moments before anyone moved. Then Tony stood, movements slow and tentative. He was _sore_ , and knew it would get worse before it got better. "I want a long hot soak."

Thor nodded. "Aye, that is a good idea. It is time you sought out Pepper and allowed her the comfort of knowing you are unhurt. Mostly."

Clint and Natasha crossed the room and exited as Thor spoke, leaving with a vague salute in Steve's direction. "Don't bother looking for us before noon tomorrow," Clint tossed over his shoulder. "I want to sleep for a week."

Tony took a step, intending to follow them, and wobbled. Before he could stumble, Steve had hold of his elbow, somehow soundlessly standing and crossing the short distance that had been separating them. "You alright, Tony?"

"Sure. Just give me a day or two to recover."

Steve gave him a sardonic look, a very clear sense of disbelief radiating off him. Both in body language and emotional ranges. "Come on, let's get you to a bed. I have a feeling someone will have to pour you into it."

"Hot soak first," was Tony's retort as he was steered gently out the door, Thor's unvoiced chuckle following them.

It wasn't long before they were standing in front of the door to Thor's quarters, which opened to reveal a very relieved looking Pepper on the far side. She stepped back, allowing Steve to steer Tony into the room and settle him on the bed. "He'll be sore and grumpy for a while," Steve broke the silence, his tone somewhere between amused and resigned.

"All I want is a hot soak," Tony put in, plaintively. "I've told you this already."

Pepper shook her head. "Then go start the shower?"

"Ugh, fine. I have to do everything myself," Tony grumbled as he forced himself to his feet, favouring his left side, knowing neither of the others would believe the irritated tone.

"It is hardly the captain's responsibility," Pepper reminded him, one hand rising to rest on Tony's cheek as she inspected the bandaged gash on his temple. "We will have to change this once you are through."

"Yeah, yeah, I know." Tony stopped only long enough to grab up a towel. When he wobbled again, he grabbed at the bathroom doorframe for support. Once he'd recovered and stepped through into the tiled room, he didn't bother to close the door behind him, simply stripping down as he started the water running. Tony smirked. He could feel the building-but-eroding resolve and sternness-mixed-with-awkwardness as Steve forced himself not to sneak a peek, choosing to focus on Pepper instead. The water had finally warmed, steam beginning to billow up to cling to the wall of the shower stall and the tile, so Tony put that problem aside for the moment. He could get clean and warm, and that was currently more important.

\-- ~~ --

He felt suddenly awkward, fighting the temptation to steal a glimpse of Tony, so Steve turned to the redhead. She met his eyes levelly and asked, "are _you_ alright, captain?"

"No major injuries. I'll be fine in a day or two," Steve shrugged, feeling the torn and scabbed skin on his left shoulder pull oddly. It hadn't quite knitted together yet, clearly. He'd have to be careful when he took his own shower. At least the bruising had already started going down.

Pepper raised a skeptical eyebrow. "Those fingers look broken. The rest I could be convinced to believe. Mostly."

"I heal quickly. Courtesy of a mutual acquaintance." Well, he was _assuming_ that if Tony had known the scientist, Pepper had too. The slightly puzzled expression she wore hinted that he might have misjudged. "Don't worry about it. That's not important."

"I doubt that, captain, but it is indeed a matter for later. Perhaps you wish to return to your own quarters and refresh yourself? Tony will likely take his time."

With a grateful nod, Steve stepped to the door and opened it. A chance to recenter himself would not go amiss, given how off-balance and awkward he felt. "That's a good idea."

"If you would like to, come join us in half an hour. I doubt Tony has eaten yet, and something tells me a meal would not go amiss with you either." 

Forcing down an embarrassed blush at the knowing look Pepper wore, Steve hastily agreed and left before things could make him feel more awkward. In the end, it took him a lot longer to strip off his costume than usual. Between the broken and strapped fingers and the torn up skin of his shoulder, the fastenings were far more trouble than normal, and every movement caused a sting and an ache. But the allure of being able to scrub the dirt off his skin and out of his hair was stronger.

After a brief attempt to find a way to keep the splinted fingers dry, Steve gave in, not finding anything immediately useful in his small rooms. Starting the shower and stepping in, letting the cool water refresh him then relax his muscles as it warmed, he sighed. For a long minute, he allowed himself to bow his head, content to let the water simply wash over him from neck to knees before carefully beginning to clean himself up. His left side was painful to clean. The torn skin covered an area about from the point of his shoulderblade to wrap around his deltoid to the point of his shoulder and to the curve of his ribs under his arm. And, of course, the only hand he could use to reach the area was the one with the splinted fingers. As he worked, the water ran intermittently red as the scabs broke and closed and broke again despite his care, the edge of the splint catching on both the scabs and ragged flaps of torn skin. One particularly sharp jolt of pain made him hiss and wince, the warm water suddenly stinging in the injury.

This really was a task that would be easier with uninjured hands or, better yet, with assistance from someone else. A part of him wondered what would have happened if he had asked Tony or Pepper to help him.

Shaking his head at his own thoughts and turning his face up into the stream of warm water, Steve decided his shoulder was as clean as it would get and did the best he could to wash his hair. The splinted fingers kept getting caught in the wet strands, but it was far easier than cleaning his shoulder had been.

By the time he had toweled off and dressed, it had been more like forty-five minutes than thirty. Nonetheless, as though they had been waiting for him to finish combing his hair, someone knocked at his door. Steve opened it to see Thor.

"Captain," the Asgardian greeted him with a slight smile and gestured to Pepper and Tony, standing behind him in the hallway, "will you join us for a meal?"

"Sure." With a last glance around the room, Steve nodded and locked the door behind him.

The meal itself passed in a bit of a haze. Attempting to clear his plate, Steve found he was almost too tired to eat. He knew he needed to, and probably needed at least two more servings, but even the thought was exhausting. Steve glanced at the others around the table. Thor and Pepper were talking about whatever topics came to mind. Tony seemed to be little better off than he was, Steve noted, eating mechanically and seemingly about to fall face first into his plate.

Once Thor and Pepper had decided Tony was through eating, they caught Steve's eyes and stood. "Captain," Pepper murmured, almost _sotto voce_ , "if you wish, join us."

As Thor gathered up Tony, slinging one of the slighter man's arms over his shoulders and putting the other arm around Tony's waist, Steve considered. If that meant what he thought it meant, Thor would make himself scarce. For all that he came across as brash and impulsive, Thor knew how to read people in all their nuance and subtlety. Walking with Pepper behind Thor, watching Tony loll almost limply off Thor's shoulder, Steve nodded, forcing down a yawn. "Alright."

Thankfully the trip back to Thor's rooms was short. After Tony had been deposited on the bed and tucked under the blankets, Steve offered Thor the key to his rooms, knowing the message behind the offer would be understood. It was accepted with a knowing smile. "Thank you, my friend," Thor responded and left, the door shutting in his wake with a soft click. Steve stared after him, thoughts suddenly sluggish and thick as weariness hit him like a sledgehammer. He wondered how--

A pair of hands on his caught Steve's attention. Pepper. Right. "Captain?"

"Hm?" Now that he'd cleaned up and eaten, the threat over, the need to rest was taking precedence.

Rather than reply verbally, Pepper pushed him down onto the bed next to Tony. Unwilling to resist -- and unable, really -- Steve sat.

"But--" he tried to protest, but the words didn't come.

"Sleep," she said, tone firm. "We will talk later."

There wasn't much Steve could find to say, though a part of him still felt like he ought to be protesting even as he loosened his clothes just enough to sleep in. Almost the moment his head hit the pillow, he was out.

Steve woke to a quiet murmur of voices, one dark and rumbling and familiar, the other lighter. Thor and Pepper, he realised after a moment. The next realisation was that his right side was currently pinned to the bed by a warm body and a strong arm was wrapped around his waist. Opening his eyes confirmed his suspicion. Tony.

Closing his eyes again, Steve let himself drift. He was content and warm and his injuries were healing. Albeit more slowly than they would have been if he'd eaten properly before letting Pepper semi-willingly coerce him into a bed.

He woke again, without any awareness of falling asleep, this time feeling oddly cold. Before he could open his eyes, someone sat beside him, brushing back his bangs. "Awake this time, Cap," Tony asked.

"Mostly?" Steve stretched, stopping with a grimace before he broke the scabs on his shoulder again. They had more or less closed, but were still tender enough to be a warning not to push the limits too much.

"Good enough for me." Tony's hand trailed down along his temple, leaving warmth in its wake. "How you feeling? Pep wants to know."

Steve raised an eyebrow at him, pushing himself up on his right elbow. "Well, it hurts a lot less, but none of it is completely gone."

"Meaning?" Pepper stepped up behind Tony and threaded her hands through his hair. Tony leaned into the caress like a cat, clearly enjoying he touch and wanting more. With an amused smile, once again tinged with apple and winter snow, Pepper indulged him, gently scratching at his scalp.

"Meaning that I shouldn't do anything much with my left arm or my right hand." Steve knew his tone was sour. He hated being injured.

Tony nodded knowingly, reopening his eyes, probably feeling Steve's frustration, but made no move to duck away from Pepper's hands. "Want dinner? We brought you some."

"In a second." Steve pushed himself into a sitting position, careful not to put much weight on either hand or shoulder. Both twinged regardless, protesting, and were summarily acknowledged then ignored. "Thanks," he added, realising belatedly that he ought to. "Wait, what about you?"

"We ate, Cap," Tony replied. "Don't worry about us."

"Good. And I thought I told you to call me 'Steve '," he grumbled.

Pepper laughed lightly. "Once he finds you a nickname, you will never be rid of it, Captain. My parents named me 'Virginia', but you have surely seen for yourself how often he uses it."

Pepper did suit her better, Steve had to admit; it was more suited to her personality. Deciding to ignore the issue for the moment, Steve picked up the plate, settling it on his knees, and working out the best way to hold the silverware by trial-and-error. He scowled once more at the splint on his fingers. It might be necessary, but it was incredibly inconvenient. To distract himself, as he took a bite of food he asked, "what did I miss while I was out?"

"Not much," Tony quipped. "Your director came by, looking for Thor, and Pep sent him packing. Something about letting his team rest after battle. I don't know. I wasn't paying much attention."

Steve blinked at him, surprised, for a moment then continued eating. He hadn't even noticed the exchange. Must have been more tired than I thought.

"Yeah, Pep tried to keep it quiet. The fact that you were pretty much out cold in the bed helped our case." Tony grinned at him insouciantly. "Guess it worked."

Pepper reached out and swatted the back of Tony's head, getting an aggrieved growl in response. Steve could tell neither of them was actually angry. They sat in comfortable silence until Steve had cleared his plate, then Pepper whisked it away and Tony let himself flop back down on the bed, stretching out.

"Tony?"

"Yeah, Cap?"

"What did you do during the fight, anyway?"

"Do?"

"You used your telepathy to warn me."

Tony nodded, acknowledging the truth of the statement, but his demeanour telegraphed his confusion. "Yeah? What about it?"

"I thought you said we had to be touching?"

"Usually, yes. If we're not it's a lot harder to do."

"Why didn't you use the comm?"

"Lost it."

Steve scrubbed his face with his good hand. "The clean-up crew probably found it, then. Nothing we can do about it for now."

"Cap, what are your plans for the next, say, week?" Tony's expression wandered from confusion through amusement and into what looked and felt like anticipation as he abruptly changed the subject.

"Plans? I don't know yet. I suppose that depends on what Director Fury assigns me." Steve shrugged. "He is my commanding officer, and I'm technically still on call."

"So you will stay here all week," Pepper wanted to know. "Have you no home to return to?"

"I do, and I could." Steve acknowledged the point. But there was little difference between his quarters here and his apartment. Well, on the other hand, assuming Fury hadn't bugged the apartment, that ought to be reasonably private in a way his quarters at HQ were not.

"Would you be opposed to hosting us for a few days?"

Pepper's question caught Steve off-guard. "What are your plans, then," he asked, now curious.

"Tony has suggested that we spend some time in the city until we can determine the extent of your abilities, and to work out the details of a relationship between the three of us, if that is indeed your intention," was Pepper's measured reply.

Tony nodded his agreement, and added, "There's also the question of whether you're able to return with us. If you wish to."

"Return. To Asgard?" Steve knew his tone bordered on incredulous. The statement had caught him off guard. "Is that even possible?"

"That's what I want to find out," Tony replied. "But first we need to work out what you want. We can work on the problem of getting you your sea legs afterwards."

"And if it doesn't work?" Steve braced himself for disappointment. His and theirs.

What he got was amusement. "Then we will stay with you for as long as the relationship lasts, assuming we can work out a suitable arrangement," Pepper said, utterly calmly.

That... wasn't anything he'd thought possible. After that, the decision was not a difficult one; this was worth attempting, if they were willing to go to such lengths even without knowing him properly. "Okay."

The two Asgardians almost seemed to glow. Their relief and hope and happy anticipation radiating off them like soft light. Steve couldn't help smiling in return.

 

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Fin

 

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[1] So I'm going a little old-school with how the sirens look. I'm using [this illustration from the 1920s](http://vintagegal.tumblr.com/post/77315045571/mermaid-illustration-by-valdes-for-la-vie) as a visual reference. Click here to return to text.

[2] Yes, in this 'verse Asgardians are occasionally polygamous/polyamorous. Click here to return to text.

[3] Sirens are inherently a people to whom monogamy is less important than personal integrity and loyalty. This sometimes results in polygamous groups of lovers, and infidelity is almost unheard of once the terms of a relationship have been negotiated and agreed upon. Beforehand... well, pretty much anything and anyone (read: anyone not in an exclusive relationship; open relationships are, while uncommon among sirens, also not unheard of) is fair game. While the terms of a relationship can be re-negotiated, usually this only occurs for the possible addition of an additional person to a pre-established relationship. In rare cases, such as the revelation that one partner is not adhering to the agreement, the relationship can be broken off entirely, or the terms renegotiated, if both/all parties can agree. Click here to return to text.

[4] Similar to a [selkie](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Selkie), in this 'verse sirens have the ability to take on human form on land, shedding their fins and scales like a snake does skin. If the shed scales are given in trust, they signify an uncommonly strong trust in, and sometimes also love for, that person or group of people. There is a complex set of rituals and rites associated with the giving, as well. Mainly to lend weight to the decision, and ensure that those taking part are confident and certain of their choice to take part. This is not something to be undertaken lightly in Asgardian society. Click here to return to text.

[5] Not having any frame of reference for how to interpret the input, Steve's brain is substituting things it does know. In this case, the combination is kinda weird. Click here to return to text.

[6] Sent-speech is what the Asgardian sirens call the version of mind-speech they use. For the information Tony info-dumps to Steve, see footnotes [1] and [2]. Click here to return to text.

[7] Point 1: see [3]. Point 2: see [4]. Point 3: Sirens don't need to protect their shed scales and fins in the same way selkies must protect their sealskins, though. They can return to the water without their shed scales, but they remain human for half a day before regrowing a new set of scales, if they do. This basically means that any siren who'd lost its scales would have to swim out to sea and stay there until the new set of scales has grown in. It's extremely tiring, but do-able if the siren is a reasonably strong swimmer in their human form. Click here to return to text.

[4a] Corollary to [4] and [7]: Once the new scales have grown in, the old set decays over the course of a day. If it's done quickly enough, the old set of shed scales and fins can be preserved, though, if they're placed in a container of seawater and a drop of the siren's blood is willingly added to the solution. After a week, the preserved scales are safe to remove from the container. This is far from easy to do, and it only done by the most devoted polyamorous groups (see [3]). It can also be dangerous; if someone other than a siren's chosen Holder (the person/people chosen to keep his/her scales in trust) gets a hold of them, they can be used to influence the siren's thoughts and feelings. Whether it works and how effective it is depends on the relative strength and stubbornness of the siren and the person trying to influence him/her. Click here to return to text.


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